An industrially produced textile capable of removing oil spills from water surfaces has been developed by a team of researchers from the ITA (Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen University), the University of Bonn and Heimbach GmbH.

Capable of removing oil in an energy-saving, cost-effective approach and without using toxic substances, the textile has been incorporated into a floating container where it can reportedly remove roughly 4 liters of diesel per hour — which is about the equivalent of 100 m² of oil film on a water surface, the researchers estimate.

Source: Separations 2023, 10(12), 592

This new oil separation device, inspired by the leaves of the floating fern Salvinia molesta, which adsorb oil and transport it on their surfaces, is dubbed the Bionic Oil Adsorber (BOA). According to the researchers, once the BOA encounters a film of oil, the textile adsorbs the oil, separating it from the water. The textile subsequently transports the oil, via capillary forces, and deposits it into the collection container segment of the device. Once the oil is collected, the container is emptied and the process can be repeated.

The researchers suggest that the BOA can be used for both open water and inland water applications. Likewise, the BOA can reportedly be used in other separation processes.

The BOA is detailed in the article, “Self-Driven Sustainable Oil Separation from Water Surfaces by Biomimetic Adsorbing and Transporting Materials,” which appears in the journal Separations.

For more information on the BOA, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of the University of Bonn.